Source: Star Adveriser
By Dan Nakaso
Laycie Tobosa spent months convincing drivers’ license officials in Hilo that she was not required to remove her traditional Muslim head scarf — or hijab — to pose for a photo for her new driver’s license, which she eventually received.
Now the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii has called on Hawaii County’s Vehicle Registration and Licensing Division to change what the ACLU calls its “unconstitutional policies, which violate the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.”
The ACLU sent similar “cautionary letters” to licensing officials in Honolulu, Maui, and Kauai counties “seeking confirmation that they do not impose similar unconstitutional policies.”
“Asking a woman to remove her head scarf is like asking her to remove her clothes and underwear,” Tobosa said today. “It’s like asking me to get undressed in public. Wearing a head scarf is to protect you as a woman, to preserve your most private spaces for those close to you. It’s very embarrassing. It’s very offensive.”
Categories: Americas, Hijab, The Muslim Times, USA, Women